Post-Graduate Training
Intern in Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 1975-1976.
Resident in Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 1976-1979.
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania (Laboratory of Neal Nathanson), 1979-1982.
Fellow, National Multiple Sclerosis Society , 1979-1982.
Visiting Worker National Institute for Medical Research, Division of Virology Mill Hill, London (Laboratory of John Skehel), 1981-1982.

Certifications
Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners, 1976.
Board Certified in Neurology, 1980.

Description of Research Expertise

Description of Research
Our laboratory studies viral neurotropism, in two groups of viruses.

Human immunodeficiency virus causes a dementia, in addition to its primary effects on the immune system. The projects in the laboratory are primarily oriented to defining the pathophysiology of this HIV Dementia, which may be mediated by either direct infection of astrocytes, neurons and oligodendrocytes, or more likely, by indirect effects from infection of microglia. Current projects involve the analysis of CD4 dependence of HIV strains and the potential for development of neutralization-resistant strains in the CNS environment. An SIV project will look at viral evolution within the CNS, including analysis of viral genomes at the level of single cells.

La Crosse virus is a member of the Bunyaviridae, a large family of viruses that includes the hantaviruses, which cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. La Crosse is a common cause of pediatric encephalitis. Current La Crosse projects look at the regions of the viral glycoproteins responsible for entry into muscle cells, and at the use of siRNA to inhibit La Crosse infections.

Rotation Projects for 2006-2007
1. Role of NSs in inhibition of siRNA in La Crosse.
2. Analysis of SIV gp120 sequences recovered from CSF and brain.
3. gp120-CD4 interaction of HIV isolates from the CNS.
4. gag assembly in macrophages.